1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fixing device, and more particularly to a fixing device for a sliding mechanism consisting of slidably connected exterior, intermediate and interior plates, wherein once the interior plate is pulled outward from the intermediate plate, no damage is caused to any one of the plates regardless of weight amount of external force applied to the plates.
2. The Prior Arts
In a personal computer (PC), a server is mounted slidably to a computer casing via two slide plates, which cooperatively define a slide channel therebetween. In case of repairing, the server can be pulled outward from the casing and after the repairing the server is pushed slidably back into the casing. A conventional sliding mechanism used in a PC generally includes an exterior plate, an interior plate and sometimes an intermediate plate between the exterior and interior plates in order to increase a total traveling length of the sliding mechanism. The exterior plates are fixed securely to two opposite sides of the computer casing while the interior plates are used for carrying the server thereon.
For a conventional sliding mechanism consisting of an exterior plate, an intermediate plate and an interior plate connected slidably relative to one another, a fixing device is provided between the intermediate plate and the exterior plate in order to provide stability to the server, which is disposed outwardly of the computer casing after successively pulling the interior plate from the intermediate plate, the intermediate plate from the exterior plate, such that the intermediate plate is exposed and thus retained at the stable condition with respect to the exterior plate. It is noted that in case of a great impact applied on the conventional sliding mechanism at this time, ruin of the sliding mechanism will be resulted since the plates cannot withstand the great impact.
Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 201228568 discloses a sliding mechanism consisting of an exterior plate, an intermediate plate slidably mounted to the exterior plate, an interior plate slidably mounted to the intermediate plate, a locking element pivotally mounted on the intermediate plate and a resilient element in contact with the locking element. The exterior plate is provided with a support unit and a securing element installed at the front end of the support unit. The securing element defines a limiting groove. The intermediate plate is further formed with a stop block. The locking element includes first and second barbed sections such that when the first barbed section engages the support unit of the exterior plate the second barbed section thereof engages the stop block of the intermediate plate so that the interior and intermediate plates can be pulled simultaneously outward relative to the exterior plate. While the interior and intermediate plates move slidaby forward in the exterior plate and after sliding over the support unit, the resilient element restores to its initial position so as to release engagement of the second barbed section from the stop block once the first barbed section of the locking element drops into the limiting groove in the securing element, where the interior plate can be pulled outward from the intermediate plate.
It is noted that the above sliding mechanism is relatively complicated in structure owing to too much components and hence results in a large manufacturing expense. Moreover, the stop block and the locking element of the intermediate plate are subjected easily to damage in case of an external impact, which, in turn, leads to ruin of the sliding mechanism.